Gun-sling.



PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

L. POWELL.

GUN SLING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1903.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET l.

10622262." f0nf0w6ZZ.

No. 784,430. PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

L. POWELL.

GUN SLING.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 28, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented March 7, 1905.

PATENT FFicE.

GUN-SLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,430, dated March '7, 1905.

Application filed August 28, 1903. Serial No. 171,076.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEIGHTON PownLn, of the United States Army, now stationed at Fort Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gun-Slings, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to gun-slings and is an improvement on the service-sling of the United States army, which in its present form is open to certain objections, to which reference will be briefly made hereinafter, that militate somewhat against its general use in actual service and in gun manipulation.

The gun-sling now in use, and which will be hereinafter referred to as the service-sling, consists of a leather strap about five and onehalf feet in length, one and one-quarter inches in width, and one-eighth of an inch thick. This strap is provided at one end with a short button-loop, by means of which it is attached to a hinged eye or butt-swivel on the gunstoek. The other end of the strap has a plate provided with an integral rigid hook riveted to it. said hook having short double hookpoints for engagement with a double line of perforations with which the body of the strap is provided through a portion of its length and by which the various positions of adjustment of the sling necessary or desirable to gun manipulation in service may be secured. The end of the strap to which the hook is' secured is passed through a hinged eye or barrel-swivel on the barrel of the gun, then brought back and passed through the butt-swivel on the gunstock, thehook-carrying end of the strap being lapped upon the outer run of the sling with its hook-points in engagement with any desired set of perforations to give the required length of sling.

The sling which I have devised, while it does not depart in its general features from the service-sling, preserving all the features of strength, compactness, simplicity, and cheapness found therein, is so designed and constructed, especially with respect to its adjusting-hook, that the adjustment and manipulation of the sling either in engaging the hook with or disengaging it from the perforations gun-stock, as shown in Fig. 1.

is not attended with any difliculty, whether the sling be under tension in close position or not, for the hook may be as readily inserted or thrown out of the perforations when the strap is taut as when it is loose and without the necessity of flexing or bending the strap. In fact, when the strap is under tension the hook throws out in an automatic manner when once started from the holes or perforations in the strap.

The essential feature of the sling invented by me and which will now be described in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one embodiment of my invention, is' an automatic throw-out hook pivotally mounted at the end of the sling and having hook-points of peculiar formation, this pivotal arrangement of the hook, coupled 'with the hook formation, permitting the entering of the hookin the perforations in the strapbody with easeand certainty under all conditions and allowing d isengagement of the hook and its ready throwing out of the perforations with equal facility.

In the drawings herewith, Figure 1 is a general view illustrating the gun-sling in close position,. the gun being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, to show the hook construction. Figs. 3, 4, 5, (3, 7, and 8 are detail views to show the various positions of the hook during manipulation of the same to enter it in and disengage it from the perforations in the strap.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, like numbers designating like parts in the several views, 1 indicates the sling-strap, which is of the size and dimensions best adapted to the needs of the service, said strap being secured at one end by a button-loop 2 or in any other suitable manner to the butt-swivel 3 on the From the butt-swivel 3 the sling-strap passes to the barrel-swivel i on the gun-barrel, through which it renders freely and from which it passes through the usual runner-loop 5 to the butt-swivel 3. The end of the sling-strap is passed through the butt-swivel and its free end is laid along the lower run of the sling in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the hook 6 at the end of the strap being entered in some one of the series of perforations 7 with which the strap-body is provided.

Reference will now be made to Figs. 2 to 8, inclusive, of the drawings for an explanation of the construction, functions, and manner of manipulation of this hook 6 with which the adjustable end of the sling-strap is provided. The said hook 6 is pivotally mounted on a hook-plate 8 of suitable size and shape, said plate 8 being riveted to the end of the slingstrap 1 or otherwise suitably secured thereto. The hook 6 is formed of a substantially H- shaped plate bent into substantially U shape, the vertical members of which are bent at one end to form two separated pivot-lugs 9, by means of which it is secured to the centrallyplaced pivot-lug 1.0 of the hook-plate 8 through the medium of the pivot-pin 11, the transverse web or cross-bar 12 of the H-shaped plate just forward of the pivot-lugs 9 giving body and strength to the hook. The vertical members of the H-shaped plate are curved forwardly, downwardly, and rearwardly from the web or cross-bar 12, so as to form hookpoints 13, said hook-points being separated from each other a distance equal to the width between the perforations in the slingstrap and being tapered to form relatively sharp entering points, the extreme ends of these points 13 being curved outwardly and away from the plane of the hook-points proper. It will be seen that the hook-points 13 are relatively long and extend back past the pivotal point of the hook, so that all danger of accidental throwing out of the hook-points due to pull on the strap is obviated and disengagement of the hook 6 can only be effected in the manner about to be described and by intentional manipulation of the same to throw it out of the perforations 7.

It will be noticed that the pivot of the hook 6 is so located and the pivot-lugs of "the hook so formed so as to give sufficient clearance for the movement of the hook, so that when the hook is thrown back to the-position shown in Fig. 3 the relatively long points 13 of the hook are thrown upwardly, so as to lie in a plane parallel or slightly above the plane of the under side of the sling-strap. This permits the sliding of the hook along the surface of the adjacent run of the sling with the extreme curved ends of the hook-points 13 out of contact with the strap or if the curved points he in contact with the strap-surface they will, owing to their curved ends, ride easily along without catching accidentally and entering the hook in the perforations. The hook end of the strap having been brought to the desired position of adjustment a slight pressure of the thumb on the rear of the upturned hook 6 will cause the hook-points 13 to enter the perforations 7. The curved ends of the hook-points 13 facilitate the entrance of the hook and its engagement with the perforations for the reason that they ride down the edge of the perforations, as shown in Fig. L. and when further pressure is exerted upon the hook 6 and it is thrown to the position shown in Fig. 5 the hook-points engage the opposite wall of the perforations 7, causing the hook 6 to tilt upon its pivot, the points 13 continuing their entering movement under pressure of the thumb upon the rear of the hook 6 until finally the hook is brought to the position shown in Fig. 7, with the hook 6 in close engagement and the hook-points 13 lying between the runs of the sling. The hook-plate 8, which is riveted to the end of the sling-strap 1, forms a rigid support for the pivoted hook 6 to swing from and serves as a means by which to readily grasp and hold the end of the strap in the hand in adjusting it to its several positions and manipulating the hook by the thumb and forefinger, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 to 8, inclus1ve.

It will be seen that in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 7 the curved ends of the hook-points 13 are turned downwardly away from the under side of the strap and that while the long hook-points 13 prevent any accidental throwing out of the hook, which accidental disengagement is further guarded against by reason of the fact that the hook-points 13 lie between the runs of the sling and cannot be accidentally caught, yet the throwing out of the hook is accomplished with readiness and certainty by simply running the finger between the sling-runs, engaging the curved ends of the hook-points 13, and starting the hook 6 from the perforations, as shown in Fig. 8. Naturally the curved ends of the hook-points and the peculiar pivotal arrangement of the .hook lend themselves to the automatic throwing out of the hook after it is once started from the perforations if the sling be under any tension, as it is in the close position, (illustrated in Fig. 1,) for immediately the hook 6 is started and carried out of the perforations by the finger to a point where the line of strain coincides with or passes the middle of the hookpoints 13 any tension on the strap will cause the hook to turn upon its pivot and the hookpoints to be completely and automatically drawn or thrown out of engagement with the perforations.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present sling obviates entirely the objections to which the service sling with the rigid hook is open, and in actual practice it has been found that the ease and rapidity with which the sling above described can be manipulated tends to encourage its general use in service and its adaption to the several positions and purposes for which a gun-sling is primarily intended.

It will be understood that any changes in form or construction of the sling invented by me such as are within the range of mechanical skill are within the scope of my invention; and I do not, therefore, limit myself to any of the details herein shown and described except so far as' I am restricted by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a gun-sling, the combination with a sling-strap having at one end a device for connection with a gun-swivel or its equivalent, and provided throughout a portion of its length with a series of perforations; of a hook pivotally secured to said strap and having a hook-point adapted to enter said perforations and hold the sling in any desired position of adjustment, said hook-point extending rearwardly past the pivot of the hook and having its extreme end curved outwardly so that the hook will ride easily along the surface of the strap when said hook is in upturned or open position in engaging it with said perforations, said hook-point lying betweenthe two runs of the sling when in engaged position so as to present a readily-engageable point for the linger when in closed position for disengaging and provided throughout a portion of its length with a double row of perforations; of a double-pointed hook pivotally secured to said strap and having hook-points adapted to enter said perforations and hold the sling in any desired position of adjustment, said hook-points extending rearwardly past the pivot of the hook and having their extreme ends curved outwardly so that the hook will ride easily along the surface of the strap when said hook is in upturned or in open position, said hookpoints lying between the two runs of'the sling when in engaged position so as to present readily-engageable points for the finger when in closed position for disengaging it from said perforations.

3. In a gun-sling, the combination with a sling-strap having at one end a device for connection with a gun-swivel or its equivalent, and provided throughout a portion of its length with a series of perforations; of a rigid hook-plate secured to said strap at its other end to form a rigid support for a pivoted hook; and a hook pivotally secured to said rigid hook-plate and having a hook-point adapted to enter said perforations and hold the sling in any desired position of adjustment, the extreme end of the said hook being curved outwardly so that the hook will ride easily along the surface of the strap when said hook is in upturned or in open position, in engaging it with said perforations, said hook-point lying between the two runs of the sling when in engaged position so as to present a readilyengageable point for the finger when in closed position for disengaging it from the said perforations.

4. In a gun-sling, the combination with a sling-strap having at one end a device for connection with a gun-swivel or its equivalent, and provided throughout a portion of its length with a double row of perforations; of a rigid hook-plate secured to said strap at its other end to form a rigid support for a pivoted hook; and a double-pointed hook pivotally secured to said rigid hook-plate and having hook-points adapted to enter said perforations and hold the sling in any desired position of adjustment, the extreme ends of the said hook-points being curved outwardly so that the hook will ride easily along the surface of the strap when said hook is in upturned or in open position in engaging it with said perforations, said hook-points lying between the two runs of the sling when in engaged position so as to present readilyengageable points for the finger when in closed position for disengaging it from said perforations.

5. In a gun-sling, the combination with a sling-strap having at one end a device for connection with a gun-swivel or its equivalent, and provided throughout a portion of its length with a double row of perforations; of a rigid hook-plate having a pivot-lug to form a rigid support for a pivoted hook; and a hook having two pivot-lugs which embrace and are secured to the pivot-lug on said hook-plate, said hook having also two relatively long hook-points adapted to enter said perforations and hold the sling in any desired position of adjustment, the extreme ends of said hookpoints being curved outwardly so that the hook will ride easily along the surface of the strap when said hook is in upturned or open position in engaging it with said perforations, said hook-points lying between the two runs of the sling when in engaged position so as to present readily-engageable points for the finger when in closed position for disengaging it from said perforations.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a hook for gun-slings formed of a substantially H- shaped plate bent into a substantially U shape, the vertical members of which are bent at one end to form pivot-lugs, and at the other end are turned under to form hook-points, the extreme ends of said underturned hook-points being curved outwardly.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEIGH'ION POWVELL.

Witnesses:

Geo. W. ENGLAND, H. G. 51mm. 

